Direct services - for fun

[FlyingPotato]

Hi all, this is just for fun and nothing serious unless you want it to be

What towns / cities do you wish had a direct service or had more services to London
Or maybe, what two towns / cities should have a direct service.
There doesn't have to be any viability for these services, it's just personal opinion

I think for me, Barrow, Barnsley and Huddersfield should have direct services to London and Trowbridge should have more services

My reasons for BBH is that they are all areas with decent populations that need a bit of leveling up and support

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Oct 2023 ==

I also apologize if this has been done before and that I haven't seen it

 

[Bletchleyite]

Marston Vale to MKC, and ideally onto a reopened Newport Pagnell branch as an S-Bahn for Milton Keynes. Would require a west facing curve or a reversal.

I genuinely think the MV would be well used if it ran to MKC. Bletchley is decent enough but is more of a traffic source than a traffic sink.

Alternatively wire it and give it direct London services.

 

[lh33]

I reckon Aberystwyth should get a few Avanti trains a day to London, a la the Holyhead train.

Also I think Scarborough ought to get some trains to London and the midlands, like how MML would do it

 

[faltskog36abba]

Hi all, this is just for fun and nothing serious unless you want it to be

What towns / cities do you wish had a direct service or had more services to London
Or maybe, what two towns / cities should have a direct service.
There doesn't have to be any viability for these services, it's just personal opinion

I think for me, Barrow, Barnsley and Huddersfield should have direct services to London and Trowbridge should have more services

My reasons for BBH is that they are all areas with decent populations that need a bit of leveling up and support

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Oct 2023 ==

I also apologize if this has been done before and that I haven't seen it

I agree with Huddersfield, Also Rochdale Blackburn.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What towns / cities do you wish had a direct service or had more services to London

Or maybe, what two towns / cities should have a direct service.

There doesn't have to be any viability for these services, it's just personal opinion

Manchester Piccadilly / Manchester Oxford Road and Deansgate to/from Larbert (and Stirling) with intermediate calls at Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Motherwell. Thus avoiding the (often rainy) dash across Glasgow City centre. Service could originate / terminate in London to meet the OP's criteria if this is necessary.

 

[greyman42]

St. Pancras/ Nottingham to Glasgow via settle/Carlisle/Dumfries.

 

[Bartsimho]

Barnsley would also seem easy to do with extending some of the current St Pancras to Sheffield trains there. But you hit the issue of Nunnery Junction again

 

[Magdalia]

Norwich to Leicester and Birmingham, a route that had 5 through services each way daily in the 1970s and 1980s.

And, hopefully before I die, Cambridge-Oxford.

 

[FlyingPotato]

Another thing is that I want a Brighton to Scotland train via reading and Lancaster but that's due to very personal bias

 

[fishwomp]

I think for me, Barrow, Barnsley and Huddersfield should have direct services to London and Trowbridge should have more services

I think London should get direct Huddersfield services. It's a bit of an outsider and losing out - with the great cities of Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Lincoln, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Bradford, Wakefield, York all benefiting from direct services to Huddersfield.

 

[Bantamzen]

I think London should get direct Huddersfield services. It's a bit of an outsider and losing out - with the great cities of Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Lincoln, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Bradford, Wakefield, York all benefiting from direct services to Huddersfield.

Quite honestly these days it doesn't feel like Bradford has much of a London service. From the Interchange we have Grand Central's Magical Mystery Tour which eventually stumbles across London, featuring the magical 180s which can make a service appear and disappear in a puff of smoke. And not forgetting the 221s that can magically make stations beyond Wakefield Kirkgate disappear.

Meanwhile at Forster Square, LNER's two services a day seem to be subject to cancellation on a pretty regular basis as they magically disappear crews. But don't worry folks, they always seem to find them wandering around Leeds so that only the Bradford portion gets canned. This is always a relief for passengers who've got a Leeds service via Shipley, timed beautifully to arrive in Leeds just as the doors of the service they should have been on slide shut, and the units head on their merry way without them..

 

[Halifaxlad]

Bradford to Huddersfield should more direct I.e without having to pass through Happpyfax (not that I have anything against it)

Bradford to Harrogate.

Wakefield to Bradford.

Bradford to Sheffield.

Halifax to Skipton.

 

[Howardh]

Think we used to have a Bolton to London service (Scotland - London calling) but then again the link to Piccadilly may not have been built so my memory could be fuzzy.

Bolton would be one of the highest populated areas in England without a direct connection to London and could be done now, and should be!! But given a choice I'd like to get to the south coast (mainly Sussex) from Manchester direct without changing in London. Is that possible or would an Elizabeth-like tunnel N/S be required??

 

[Mcr Warrior]

But given a choice I'd like to get to the south coast (mainly Sussex) from Manchester direct without changing in London. Is that possible or would an Elizabeth-like tunnel N/S be required??

Was possible until 15 or so years ago with routing usually via Reading/Guildford/Redhill (reversal required) or Reading/Kensington Olympia/Clapham Junction, so doubt a tunnel would really be required.

 

[Howardh]

Was possible until 15 or so years ago with routing usually via Reading/Guildford/Redhill (reversal required) or Reading/Kensington Olympia/Clapham Junction, so doubt a tunnel would really be required.

Is that routing not available now?

Looking at a rail map, I THINK it's possible using Thameslink line, but reversing at Sheffield would be necessary. So in theory possible, but in practice pointless, would be quicker to use the WCML and change! But there's HS2 unused money needing to be spent, and I do read there's a need for a N/S tunnel through London anyway??

 

[Mcr Warrior]

But given a choice I'd like to get to the south coast (mainly Sussex) from Manchester direct without changing in London. Is that possible or would an Elizabeth-like tunnel N/S be required??

Was possible until 15 or so years ago with routing usually via Reading/Guildford/Redhill (reversal required) or Reading/Kensington Olympia/Clapham Junction, so doubt a tunnel would really be required.

Is that routing not available now?

Very possibly still available, subject to suitable paths being available, particularly on the Brighton Main Line.

Looking at a rail map, I THINK it's possible using Thameslink line, but reversing at Sheffield would be necessary.

From Manchester towards Derby and the South, Sheffield could always be avoided by using the Dore Sth Junction.

So in theory possible, but in practice pointless, would be quicker to use the WCML and change!

We are, of course, talking about possible, if highly unlikely, direct train services. No changes required!

 

[devon_belle]

Brighton+Portsmouth to Plymouth
Swansea to Plymouth

 

[FlyingPotato]

Barnsley would also seem easy to do with extending some of the current St Pancras to Sheffield trains there. But you hit the issue of Nunnery Junction again

Could you send extend it to Huddersfield via the pennistone line or is the infrastructure not good enough

 

[nw1]

Ah, a nice fantasy thread, the perfect antidote to the cuts-ridden post-Covid railway....

Southampton Central to Waterloo via Havant. In the typical 4tph Portsmouth Direct timetable of the 2004-19 period, this would be done by starting the Haslemere-Waterloo stopper back from SOU, calling at St Denys, Woolston, Netley, Swanwick, Fareham, Cosham, Havant and Petersfield.

Guildford to Victoria via Redhill, on an electrified line. Calling at all stations to Redhill, then fast to East Croydon and finally Clapham Junction. This has come up before but I believe such a service would actually provide a faster trip from Dorking to London than any of the existing ones (which stop just about everywhere). Part of a 2tph Reigate to Victoria service, with the other terminating/originating at Reigate, as now.

Recreate the days of the old Southern Railway by extending Waterloo-Exeter services to either Barnstaple or Okehampton (each destination being served in alternate hours).

Re-introduce through XC services from Portsmouth to Birmingham and beyond. One morning service, one midday service and one late afternoon service, and forming part of a re-introduced all-day half-hourly service from Reading to Birmingham.

Brighton to WCML via Kensington (see #21 below).

Re-introduce through services from Waterloo via Staines onto the Camberley line all day, as happened during 1988-91 and before that, up to the mid-70s (?). Pattern: one proper fast service each hour (e.g. Clapham, Richmond and Staines only before Ascot) then dividing at Ascot with half to Reading and half to Guildford via Camberley, plus two stoppers to Reading.

 

[fishwomp]

Could you send extend it to Huddersfield via the pennistone line or is the infrastructure not good enough

Wasn't clear which post you were following up to - I think you meant - St Pancras - Sheffield -> [new] Barnsley -> Leeds -> Glasgow?

Yes, could be done - if happy to reverse (usually a railforums no-no) at Leeds. The infrastructure can handle it - has taken steam and loco hauled excursions in last 10-15 years.

It's fun to look at https://timetableworld.com/ - the 1963 Eastern Region timetable shows the Saturdays only Leeds [City] to Bournemouth via Bradford [Exchange], Halifax, Brighouse, Huddersfield, Penistone, Sheffield [Victoria], Nottingham [Victoria] etc.

I think it had to be two services with coupling up at Huddersfield. 4 hours from Penistone to Oxford beats most services today as the connections are broken in New Street.

 

[nw1]

Is that routing not available now?

Looking at a rail map, I THINK it's possible using Thameslink line, but reversing at Sheffield would be necessary. So in theory possible, but in practice pointless, would be quicker to use the WCML and change! But there's HS2 unused money needing to be spent, and I do read there's a need for a N/S tunnel through London anyway??

I can actually see that a through Brighton-WCML service could in theory be introduced once the southern part of HS2 opens (if it opens, the longer Sunak is in power the less likely that is ) routed via Kensington Olympia. Operated by some kind of IC-grade 3rd-rail / OHLE dual-voltage stock and making use of freed-up capacity on the WCML, it could run every hour calling at Gatwick, East Croydon, Clapham Junction, Kensington, Watford Junction and MKC, then alternating Birmingham and Manchester. This could serve quite a range of markets and could seriously perhaps be a good idea.

 

[route101]

Glasgow to Leeds via Settle.

Glasgow to Bristol via Crewe

 

[FlyingPotato]

Wasn't clear which post you were following up to - I think you meant - St Pancras - Sheffield -> [new] Barnsley -> Leeds -> Glasgow?

Yes, could be done - if happy to reverse (usually a railforums no-no) at Leeds. The infrastructure can handle it - has taken steam and loco hauled excursions in last 10-15 years.

It's fun to look at https://timetableworld.com/ - the 1963 Eastern Region timetable shows the Saturdays only Leeds [City] to Bournemouth via Bradford [Exchange], Halifax, Brighouse, Huddersfield, Penistone, Sheffield [Victoria], Nottingham [Victoria] etc.

I think it had to be two services with coupling up at Huddersfield. 4 hours from Penistone to Oxford beats most services today as the connections are broken in New Street.

View attachment 145536

While that is interesting and shows what weird services there used to be.

I meant extend the emr Sheffield train to Huddersfield via Barnsley and the pennistone line

 

[gg1]

When the plan was to build HS2 all the way to Manchester, one of the planned services was to Macclesfield and Stoke, running on the classic lines from Handsacre.

My crayonista wibble was to instead extend this to Huddersfield via Stockport and Stalybridge (obviously with accompanying electrification).

 

[FlyingPotato]

When the plan was to build HS2 all the way to Manchester, one of the planned services was to Macclesfield and Stoke, running on the classic lines from Handsacre.

My crayonista wibble was to instead extend this to Huddersfield via Stockport and Stalybridge (obviously with accompanying electrification).

I think gnwr (grand central at one point) was going to run a train to Huddersfield and Bradford via Stockport and stalybridge but they swapped it to Blackpool

 

[Nottingham59]

Marston Vale to MKC, and ideally onto a reopened Newport Pagnell branch as an S-Bahn for Milton Keynes. Would require a west facing curve or a reversal.

I genuinely think the MV would be well used if it ran to MKC. Bletchley is decent enough but is more of a traffic source than a traffic sink.

Alternatively wire it and give it direct London services.

Hitchin to Bletchley/Apsley. Gives the connectivity of EWR at half the cost, and then convert the Marston Vale to a tramway with on-street running from Apsley to MKC.

 

[TheSmiths82]

I wish Manchester had direct LNW services to London, considering how many people get off at Crewe and then get the TFW train to Manchester I think there is huge demand for it. I understand the reasons why it doesn't exist though. I am lucky that I have direct trains to most places I want to go to. More direct trains to Cornwall and Devon would be nice, but any XC service tends to be too expensive anyway beyond Bristol.

 

[FlyingPotato]

I wish Manchester had direct LNW services to London, considering how many people get off at Crewe and then get the TFW train to Manchester I think there is huge demand for it. I understand the reasons why it doesn't exist though. I am lucky that I have direct trains to most places I want to go to. More direct trains to Cornwall and Devon would be nice, but any XC service tends to be too expensive anyway beyond Bristol.

I once did that in reverse but couldn't get to Manchester as the TFW was only 2 cars and there was no space

 

[61653 HTAFC]

While that is interesting and shows what weird services there used to be.

I meant extend the emr Sheffield train to Huddersfield via Barnsley and the pennistone line

This could be done in theory, but:
1) It'd probably have to take the path of an existing Northern service, both for the bottleneck through Nunnery and the single line sections north of Barnsley. This would in turn mean either calling at all stations or some stations having a two hour gap.
2) It'd have to crawl over Paddock viaduct at 10mph unless the whole service was run with Sprinters or Turbostars due to the weight restrictions on that structure.

 

[TheSmiths82]

I once did that in reverse but couldn't get to Manchester as the TFW was only 2 cars and there was no space

That is one thing that puts me off too, but always resigned to the idea of just paying a for a Northern/Avanti ticket for the rest of the journey if that happens. I think the last time I did it was standing only on the TFW. In fact that experience put me off going to Wales. I used to visit Wales frequently but won't be doing until TFW sort out their capacity issues. The LNW ticket really needs to be valid on Northern services as well.